Measuring health-related quality of life: a comparison between people living with AIDS and police on active duty: research

Abstract

The escalating rate of AIDS-related deaths in South Africa has led to an increase in social scientific research on the perceptions and experiences of people suffering from AIDS by focusing on their physical health and emo- tional well-being. The aim of this study was to measure and compare the quality of life of two sample groups in South Africa, namely members of the police on active duty, as an example of a healthy population, and people living with AIDS. The SF-36 questionnaire was used as measuring instrument to assess the respondents(tm) perceptions of their own health-related quality of life. From the research, which was based on a comparative approach, it was found that statistically significant differences existed between people living with AIDS and members of the police force in respect of their scores on all eight of the SF-36 domains (p < 0.05). The biggest difference between the AIDS respondents and members of the police occurred in the emotional roles limitation dimension, followed by the physical functioning and the bodily pain dimensions. Intervention programmes that are aimed at contributing to the improvement of the well-being of people suffering from AIDS, therefore need to incorporate mechanisms that provide support in all eight of the quality-of-life dimensions.


Die styging in die getal VIGS-verwante sterftes in Suid-Afrika het gelei tot 'n toename in sosiaalwetenskaplike navorsing oor die persepsies en belewenisse van mense met VIGS, met die fokus op hul fisieke gesondheid en emosionele welsyn. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die lewenskwaliteit van twee groepe in Suid-Afrika te meet en met mekaar te vergelyk. Hierdie twee groepe het enersyds uit lede van die polisie in aktiewe diens, as voorbeeld van (tm)n gesonde populasie en andersyds uit mense met VIGS bestaan. Die SF-36-vraelys is as meetinstrument gebruik om die respondente se persepsies van hul gesondheidsverwante lewenskwaliteit te assesseer. Op grond van hierdie navorsing, wat op (tm)n vergelykende benadering berus het, is bevind dat mense met VIGS en lede van die polisiemag se onderskeie tellings op al agt SF-36-domeine (p < 0.05) beduidend verskil het. Die grootste verskil tussen die persepsies van die respondente met VIGS en diรฉ van lede van die polisiemag het op die emosionele rolbeperkingsdomein gelรช, gevolg deur die domeine van fisieke funksionering en liggaamlike pyn. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat intervensieprogramme wat die welsyn van VIGS-lyers wil bevorder, meganismes moet inkorporeer wat ondersteuning in al agt lewenskwaliteitsdomeine bied.


Health SA Gesondheid Vol.9(2) 2004: 31-42